A Debt of Boots and the Approaching Tide

"Even so, you're not thinking of going in right now, are you?"

"...No."

So telling me to go ahead and farm first was a lie. It was just a way to say I should escape without feeling guilty. But now I can't pretend I didn't hear that.

I have to help.

"Then how about this?"

"What?"

"This time we'll focus purely on farming, and next time we'll climb up together."

The first floor start is solo random matching only. But from the second floor, you can enter as a party. Of course, there are conditions. The experience of reaching the second floor and successfully escaping—that was the requirement to start on the second floor. If we escape from here, that condition would be met.

"I'll refuse. There's no need for you to take risks like that, Jaeha."

"Isn't it the same for you? You helped me too. You even gave me some of your already limited time."

"I was just doing what I needed to do while helping."

She refuses help even while giving it. What a truly prickly cat-like person.

"Let's put the answer on hold until after we escape. Who knows? I might awaken an insane unique skill."

I might actually become ridiculously strong, you know?

"A unique skill?"

"Ah."

Right. I'd been hiding the fact that this was my first time in the tower. But for a veteran hunter like Yu Sia to not have noticed yet... Maybe I really am a talent hoarder?

"Jaeha, what exactly is going on here?"

Sia, your eyes look like they're about to burn straight through my bike helmet.

"Ugh, I should've forced you to escape back then."

For now, I'll stay quiet. Forgiveness is easier than persuasion.

"How about we focus only on escaping right now? We can think about raiding the large hospital later."

"Haa, seriously. Fine, then. Let's prioritize escaping first."

"And farm as much as possible while we're at it."

"I understand. But safety comes first."

"Yep. I'll follow your lead completely, Sia."

She'd found out I was a newbie, but it actually turned out for the better. Thanks to that, the atmosphere that had been getting heavy lightened up.

Oh, right.

"By the way, what is your skill, Sia?"

"It's called Adrenaline. The more danger I'm in, the more my physical abilities are amplified."

Ah, so that's why. I was wondering why she insisted on fighting head-on every time.

"But the more my physical ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠abilities amplify, the more fatigue builds up, so I need to manage my condition carefully."

"Then wasn't there no need to keep forcing frontal battles?"

Even if there are drinks that relieve fatigue, they're not infinite.

"Because my goal is the large hospital."

"Ah."

So she was practicing? Don't tell me she was planning to go in alone? With her body amplified that much?

It was reckless, but not entirely impossible.

If I want to be even a little helpful, I really need to pull an overpowered skill, don't I?

We resumed farming. This building was only open up to the third floor. That was actually fortunate. If it had been fully open, it would have been packed with that many more zombies.

The first floor had already been roughly farmed by the hunters who escaped earlier, so there wasn't much. But on the second floor...

"A key!"

A key had appeared.

This isn't something that drops often, is it?

Some hunters supposedly never got one even once.

Scan it first!

"Agh! Ah..."

It was just an ordinary safe key.

Still, this isn't something to be disappointed about. Even this alone is a jackpot, right?

Besides, the hope of a super jackpot still remained. Even C-grade safes didn't always give C-grade items. Conversely, ordinary safes could still yield good stuff.

Maybe this time too?

No. I shouldn't get my hopes up too much. I've already gotten so much; I should have some conscience.

For now...

"Sia."

"Yes?"

Yu Sia, who had been searching the opposite side, turned around.

Hehe, she's answering right away now.

It felt like I'd tamed a stray cat, and I couldn't help but smile. But she still hadn't completely let her guard down.

"What is it?"

When I didn't answer, she looked at me suspiciously.

"Ta-da."

I showed her the key.

"Aaaah!"

As expected, even the great ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Yu Sia looks ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠happy.

"Doesn't this feel like we've taken one step closer to the large hospital?"

I asked with a sly grin.

"Hmph. Let's just look for more safes."

Yu Sia turned away coldly. I couldn't see her face, but to me it looked like she was deliberately sulking.

While searching the third floor...

"Found one!"

Yu Sia's voice rang out.

"Did you scan it?"

"Yes. It's an ordinary safe."

"Nice!"

Is luck really on our side today?

"Then I'll open it!"

"Hurry and open it!"

Her voice had gone up in pitch. It seemed Yu Sia was quite excited too.

I inserted the key, turned it halfway, heard the click, then turned it the rest of the way.

Clunk.

The moment the lock released, I opened it and scanned the contents!

"Holy shit! D-grade!!"

"Aaaah!"

A D-grade item had appeared! I hadn't even dared to hope for this!

"No way!"

Seeing even Yu Sia shocked, it really was a huge score.

But then...

"Do D-grade items normally come out of ordinary safes?"

"Absolutely not! At least, I've never seen it happen in any ordinary safe I've opened. Forget D-grade, even E-grade items rarely appear."

So this wasn't just a jackpot—it was a super jackpot.

"Pfft, is that all? D-grades come out pretty often for me."

I immediately started bragging.

"D-grades... come out often?"

Her voice somehow sounded angry?

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm just a bit lucky."

"A bit... lucky?"

"Ah, sorry."

If I kept bragging I'd probably get hit. Better check the options first.

When activated, it eliminates footstep noise for 30 seconds?

It was an effect that didn't immediately click for me.

Hmm, it's a bit ambiguous.

Thanks to my Quiet Footsteps skill, I already barely made any noise when walking. Even if I wore these, how much of a dramatic difference could there be?

"The option is insanely good."

"Oh, really? Is it that good?"

Seeing Yu Sia's reaction, I couldn't hold back my bragging anymore. If she hits me, I'll just take it.

"Of course! Imagine running down the road without making any sound."

Ah! It wouldn't make noise even while running!

This is actually insane?!

When I thought about it in terms of running, it was practically an extra life. Escaping from zombies by running wasn't easy. Their vision might be blurry, but they were extremely sensitive to sound. Plus, running would aggro other zombies nearby. Trying to escape could end up drawing even greater danger.

But if I ran while wearing the Ghost Boots?

The zombies chasing me would lose track because there'd be no sound of footsteps. And no aggro would trigger either. I could literally sprint between sleeping zombies.

And that wasn't all. Combat noise would also be drastically reduced.

I was thinking too one-dimensionally.

Yu Sia's insight was impressive too. To even think about running like that. Since entering the tower, I'd only ever moved by crawling or sneaking, so it hadn't even occurred to me.

In that case, these boots...

"Here, take them."

"Huh?"

"They seem like they'd suit you better, Sia."

"What are you saying! You should obviously use them, Jaeha!"

Activating her Adrenaline skill forced her into frontal combat. To use the skill properly, she had to expose herself to danger. But if she had the Ghost Boots?

She'd be able to escape even when in danger.

"Wouldn't it be more useful for you to use them?"

"Absolutely not. You found them, so you should have them."

She must want them. She knows better than anyone how perfectly they'd suit her. Yet she's drawing such a firm line. It makes me want to give them to her even more, just to tease her.

"Aren't you going to the large hospital?"

"Ugh."

"The stronger you get, the safer I'll be. And the safer we are, the more opportunities we'll have to farm."

If we were just going to say goodbye after this, I wouldn't have offered.

"I'm not just giving them for free. When I find something that suits me, you can pay me back then. We'll keep farming anyway, right?"

"Still..."

Even after my persuasion, Yu Sia hesitated. I grabbed her hand and placed the Ghost Boots in her palm.

"Hurry up and try them on. I'm curious too."

"Agh, what do I do!"

She was still conflicted, trembling slightly. The sight made me laugh.

"Pfft!"

"Don't laugh! Geez. Fine. I'll definitely pay you back for this."

"Of course. With interest, please."

"Ugh..."

To think I could put Yu Sia in my debt. I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?

"Then shall I test them out?"

"Go ahead."

Yu Sia immediately started running. As expected, since it wasn't a dangerous situation, her speed was much lower. But...

"Huh?"

I felt a strong sense of dissonance from the way she was running. She was really sprinting, yet there was no sound at all.

"These are seriously good. There's no sound."

"Wow, you're practically an assassin. I'll turn around, so run over and tap my shoulder, okay?"

Tap.

"Whoa?!"

The moment I finished speaking, I felt her hand. I hadn't sensed any presence whatsoever.

"This is seriously amazing..."

If even a person couldn't detect any presence, what about zombies? For some reason, I felt like Yu Sia was smiling.

Ah, now I kind of want them.

I decided to take the rest of the items. I removed the magazines I'd taped to my legs and put on the MTB guard pads. They were knee and shin guards used for mountain biking.

As expected, they're much sturdier than the makeshift reinforcements.

The inner lining was soft, so they felt comfortable too.

I'll sell the diamond ring once we get out. The cash is a bit awkward though.

After robbing a bank once, it didn't really excite me anymore.

"Shall we start moving soon?"

"Yes."

I first opened the map.

The next good place to go... We should get away from this area first.

At the very least, we needed to get off the main roads.

"Grrrrraaaawr!"

"Uwoooooooor!"

Damn it, run!

Why here of all places!

"Kyaaaaaaa!"

A sudden scream rang out.

"It's from the road!"

I went to the window and looked down. Two people were running toward this building.

Don't tell me it's because of the exit?

They didn't seem to know the exit had already closed. They probably couldn't turn on their phones while coming here because of the light. The exit closure countdown starts the moment someone enters. If you're lucky, you can still escape even if you arrive late.

They must have been clinging to that hope. But in the end, they'd made a mistake.

At first it would have been just a faint noise. But that was the beginning. Awakened zombies let out cries, and the screams of the startled survivors woke the sleeping city.

On the pitch-black asphalt. Their path forward and their path back. The obstacles stacked with furniture, the areas around the wire mesh fences. The deep alleys branching in every direction. The buildings packed full of them.

An endless chain of madness. There was nowhere left for them to survive.

The jet-black asphalt carpet. That was their final destination.

"We have to get out of here!"

Just like Yu Sia said, if we stayed here we'd definitely get swept up in that tide. But leaving like this would be just as dangerous.

"Wait a second!"

I'd thought we'd face a crisis like this someday.

Good thing I brought this.

It was a mannequin I'd prepared in advance. I tied the cable connected to the mannequin to a piece of furniture.

"What are you doing?! We don't have time!"

"It's already too late even if we leave now!"

I attached a noise-making toy to the mannequin with duct tape. The moment I turned it on...

Wee-ooo wee-ooo. Beep ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beep boop.

I threw it out the window.

"This way!"

I immediately grabbed Yu Sia's hand and ran to the corner of the office.

This should work.

It was a steel cabinet.

"Let's get in here."

"What?!"

I pulled the hesitant Yu Sia into my arms, entered the cabinet, closed the door, and then threw my weight against it.

Bang!

I knocked the cabinet over so the door was facing the floor.

"Ugh!"

I took the full impact of the fall.

"Ah!"

Startled by the sudden embrace, Yu Sia squirmed.

"Shh."

If possible, I wanted to help the survivors being chased. But that was a massive tide we could never stand against.

"Grrrrraaaaaawr!"

"Kurrrrrrgh!"

"Gwuuuuurgh!"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!"

From within that tide, the faint screams of the survivors could be heard. Listening to those screams, for the first time since entering the tower, I thought about death.

This might be the future that awaited us too. As long as we aimed for the large hospital.

Yu Sia must have thought the same, because her body trembled slightly.

Thud thud thud thud thud!!

Crash! Shatter! Crunch! Crack! Snap!

In the end, the massive tide reached even the building.

"Gwoooooooor!"

"Krrrrrk!"

"Kweeeeegh!"

That tide could not be controlled. As if stimulated by each other's noise, they were consumed by madness and rampaged wildly in every direction.

Boom! Crunch! Thud thud!

The sounds of destruction starting from the first floor climbed up the stairs. We could only hold our breath, relying on each other's body heat.

Please, let this massive wave pass us by.